Meet Pat Collins - Western Suburbs Cricket Club
Western Suburbs District Cricket Club Brisbane | March 01, 2023
In this Q&A Western Suburbs District Cricket Club feature Pat Collins
What year you were born?
1988
What is your nickname?
PC, Skip, JNR
What was your most memorable moment in junior cricket?
Playing state championships titles in the first week of the school holidays when I was in high school. During the school year I’d look forward to going away with my mates and playing with and against each other. Couple of times we got billeted out which I’m not sure if they’d be allowed to do now. Those trips forged friendships and great memories with blokes like Dom O'Brien who ended up being a groomsman at my wedding.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey? Where you’ve played, clubs you’ve played and greatest cricketing achievement.
I started as a young kid playing for club and the school I now teach at - Gregory Terrace. I was lucky enough to go through the program at a time when Blair Coplain had just started.
Blair has been the head of cricket there for a long time now, he’s was at first a great coach but now over time we have become close friends and I’ve worked alongside him now for 10 plus years. Fantastic person who is passionate about the development of good people and in turn, good cricketers.
I made my first grade debut in 2007-2008 when I was 18. Wests at the time had had Aaron Nye and Harry Paulsen in the Queensland squad plus about three or four others playing 2nd XI cricket, proper 2nd XI when they picked the second best team in the state.
So throughout that season I played maybe half of the games with guys coming and going. I batted 3 in the semi-final and was lucky enough to then get picked in the final batting 7 or 8 and we won the flag against a Gold Coast team whose attack included Swann, Brant, Doran, Ippo.
The best team result I’ve been in was our premiership in 2016-2017. It was a culmination of a lot of hard work over a number of years from a number of people. Previous generation players instilled a work ethic into us about hard work was and an attitude required to win.
The coaching staff initially led by Peter Cameron for so many years and then Pete Steindl who was in his 2nd year as coach and all the people involved in the club particularly John Dooley and Greg Rowell and so many more. It meant so much to us all.
Personally the greatest achievement I’ve received in my cricket career is having the honour to Captain Wests first grade side. I’ve done that now for the last 6-7 seasons, this season I’m captaining our two day side, and Paddy Dooley is captain in the white ball competitions.
It’s our 100th year this year and through our history we have had so many fantastic players, brilliant administrators and so many wonderful people that gave their all off the field so that our club could become what it is today. I feel it’s part of my job to ensure the current playing group are aware of everything that has gone before us and for us to hold up our end of the bargain up by giving our all on the field.
I enjoy captaining, particularly because I find it more about knowing and understanding your teammates and what makes them tick, challenging them and supporting them through the ups and downs. And more importantly trying to be there for them off the field.
Wests 2016/17 Premiers
What is your pre match routine?
Clean the kitchen, hang the washing out, make the bed all so the wife doesn’t have to do those chores during the day. Then take her out for a coffee before warm up. She’s very supportive of me playing but I try to do the little things well to see if I can get another couple of seasons out of it.
How do you amuse yourself on a plane flight?
Doing the form guides for the upcoming Wednesday/Saturday meeting whilst having couple drinks.
Which singer/band would you like to see perform live?
Pearl Jam
What’s the one thing about you most people don’t know about?
Did engineering and construction management at Uni, now I teach Physics and Chemistry.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Blake Edwards.
I enjoy scrolling through his Instagram feed. He’s a lunatic but love him. Plus he loves a beer and a bet.
Extremely good cricketer, just a bloke you want in your team, I know I’ll always get his absolute all every time he steps onto the field and he’ll do anything he can to win the game for our team.
Who has been your most annoying team mate?
Blake
Who was your childhood hero?
My father - he’s done so much for our family, working away for 20 plus years and supporting our family.
Cricketer- Damien Martyn.
Sportsman- Brett Mullins- former Raider great..
Who was your favourite all-time cricketer?
Damien Martyn
Who is the fastest bowler you’ve played against?
Ryan Harris- that day at Toombul few years ago now. He came back from the Indian Test series and had to get some overs in prior to playing the first test at the Gabba.
The Groundsman had marked out a 24 yards pitch. I was facing and I saw the used wicket from week before and it didn’t match up. I faced a delivery or two and was slightly nervous about enquiring with Toombul and the umpires because I didn’t want to seem like I didn’t want to face Ryan. I think I turned to Boycey in the gully and brought it up. The umpires said play out the over and then we will check.....
Also couple of Pakistan pros overseas who would go on to play test cricket. Rapid.
Who is the best spinner you’ve played against?
Paddy Dooley in the nets - always reckons you’re out.
Who was the best batsman you played against?
Well I’d hate to play against Steve Paulsen. Biased maybe but he’s the best grade cricketer in the last 20 years. With the bat, with the ball and in the field. Across all three facets I think he has been the best.
Andrew Robyson from the GC, Dan Wilson always seems to get runs against us and has scored runs for a long period of time. AJ Nye who again played for us was unbelievable. Two time Peter Burge medallist and twice runner ups shows the talent and consistency he had to score big runs.
Steve Paulsen playing for Queensland
Who are the next two batsman to make their debut for the Queensland Bulls in Shield cricket?
Difficult without 2ndXI cricket butt I’d love to think those who are the most consistent in grade cricket would get their crack. Young Clayton from University - he seems he’s got a lot of time at the crease.
Also love to see Sam Truloff get another opportunity. He moved to Tasmania for family reasons and missed last season. I think he’s the type of player that deserves another decent crack. Consistent grade player who scores big 100s and consistently. He’s also more mature, and having been away from professional cricketing life, he’s got some perspective about life and the game and is hitting them better now than he ever has.
Sam Truloff
What’s the best innings you’ve seen played in any game you’ve played throughout your playing days?
I remember a 100 in a first grade one day semi-final Craig Philipson got against us at Wests in about 2007 or 2008. He got 180 and we dropped him on 0. Uni got about 440 batting first.
Also Steve Paulsen got a 150 against North’s in a two day game a couple of years ago. They had a very good attack, he got hit early in his innings and injured or broke his bottom hand and could only play certain shots. They still couldn’t get him out. Unbelievable ticker and skill.
What do you enjoy most about playing cricket?
The friendships and memories created playing alongside my teammate’s week in week out.
Whether it be at training, in the sheds after a day in the field or at the pub. My current team mates are more than juts team mates, they are great mates that I’ll have for life. Individually you have too many bad days in cricket not to enjoy others success and the success of the team.
What has been your most memorable moment in cricket?
My second two day first grade flag. I didn’t probably appreciate my first one at such a young age and to do it with your best mates, unforgettable.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
Probably that first two day premiership. We bowled Gold Coast out for about 280 and we got 230 odd and then bowled them out for little over a 100 and chased the fourth innings total 3 down. Nysie- 130* not. Good players stand up in those big games. Brilliant knock.
What are the three things you’re looking forward to doing outside cricket?
1. Well I’m currently in hospital going through these questions as my wife just gave birth to our first child... Patrick Collins the 5th.... So probably doing my best trying to be a good husband and father.
2. A passion of mine is mental health. I’m a teacher at Terrace, love my day job. Great kids there. I want to do more work around promotion positive mental health in young people.
3. Continue to be involved in the game. I recon you could probably count on one hand the amount of 30 plus aged premier grade cricketers there are at the moment. I think that’s a shame not only on the field but off the field. I know I learned a lot training with the senior players when I was a young fella and being in and around the dressing sheds with them. Not sure how long I’ll keep playing but I know I want to continue to be involved with both Terrace cricket and Wests cricket.
